Brandon Bussi helped the Carolina Hurricanes end a long wait by beating the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 in the Stanley Cup final, and after the win he admitted he couldn’t stop thinking about the New York Knicks winning their first NBA title since 1973 just a day
When the Carolina Hurricanes took the ice on Sunday evening, the moment didn’t belong to the history books—it belonged to the crease, and to the man waiting there to be told he was needed.
Carolina delivered a 3-0 shutout over the Vegas Golden Knights to win the Stanley Cup. It was the first time since 2006 that the Hurricanes had been the last NHL team standing.
For Brandon Bussi, it was the kind of finish that makes a season feel destined. He authored a breakthrough first year with the Hurricanes, posting a 31-6-2 record during the regular season and finishing with a 2.47 goals-against average, along with a pair of shutouts.
Still, the postseason story started differently. Bussi was on the bench for the first three rounds. with Frederik Andersen leading the way and guiding Carolina to the Stanley Cup Final. Then the series turned. After Andersen allowed four goals in Game 3. coach Rod Brind’Amour put Bussi into the net—and Bussi took it from there.
After the Cup-clinching win, Bussi wasn’t only soaking in hockey’s biggest prize. He had something else on his mind: the New York Knicks’ title night, which came just 24 hours earlier.
Bussi, a fan of the Knicks, said he was thrilled to see New York capture the championship—their first NBA title since 1973.
“It was so cool to see,” Bussi said via Greg Wyshynski on X. “So cool for New York.”
That perspective feels personal when you track how Bussi’s path reached this moment. He is from Sound Beach, New York, and his route to the NHL didn’t follow the usual blueprint. Bussi was never drafted into the league after playing with the NCAA’s Western Michigan Broncos.
Before signing with Carolina, his professional career carried detours and opportunities. He spent time in the Boston Bruins organization. then signed a contract with the Florida Panthers before the start of this season. But his time in Florida was short. He was waived by the Panthers and subsequently claimed by the Hurricanes—an acquisition that Carolina can now look back on as one of the most underrated waiver claims in recent NHL history.
The sequence is hard to dismiss: a bench role through the early postseason rounds. a Game 3 swing after four goals allowed by Andersen. and then Bussi taking the baton for the remainder of the ride. By the time the Hurricanes closed out the final with a 3-0 shutout. the goalie switch didn’t just change a lineup—it completed a season’s worth of pressure and promise.
Brandon Bussi Carolina Hurricanes Vegas Golden Knights Stanley Cup Final Frederik Andersen Rod Brind'Amour Knicks New York Knicks NBA title since 1973 Western Michigan Broncos